Rain water harvesting from June 1: Catch that rain or pay penalty!

Bengaluru: Having failed to persuade most people to opt for rain water harvesting (RWH) so far, the BWSSB is now all set to make  it compulsory from June 1 and will impose penalties on those who  don't fall in line. Currently of the agency’s nine lakh consumers, only 50,000 have rain water harvesting units.

BWSSB chairman , T.M Vijay Bhaskar says with awareness campaigns having failed to make an impact,  levying penalty is the only option now. " From June 1, meter readers will check every house to keep a tab on those violating rules.

Those without RWH units will have to pay 25 per cent of the water bill as penalty for the first three months. After three months, the penalty will be doubled. It will be added to their monthly water bill,” he said.

Under the rules, existing buildings on sites measuring 60 x 40 ft and new constructions on sites measuring 30 x 40 ft must have RWH units. The rules will be applicable to apartment complexes as well and the BWSSB hopes to get at least 50,000 consumers to fall in line by cracking the whip from June onwards.

Mr  Vishwanath S, who designs RWH units, points out that had more people opted for rain water harvesting following the agency's diktat,  last year's rains could have helped them survive this summer. "There are many examples of people not facing a water crisis in summer, thanks to rain water harvesting.

If most people had harvested rain water, we could have easily survived this hot dry season,” he notes regretting the lukewarm response to even the theme park set up by the government to create awareness about  rain water harvesting.
"It is not lack of awareness but a lack of will. People are indifferent to the drive although they're aware of its benefits," he despairs.